Former Owner May Have Say In 49ers’ Future

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — Now that 49ers coach Mike Singletary’s firing is official, the search for new leadership may have the team’s legendary former owner weighing heavily on the future of the franchise.

At a Monday afternoon news conference, Team President Jed York said that he intends to talk to a number of people throughout the league, but that he expects to get the most advice from his own uncle Eddie DeBartolo Jr.

DeBartolo is the owner of five Super Bowl rings himself when he brought the 49ers a string of success in the 80s and 90s.

York made it clear that he won’t be the person selecting the team’s next head coach and that finding a general manager is also at the top of his list of priorities.

“It’s important to me to have the general manager select the coach,” said York who continued to stress the importance of the general manager-head coach relationship.

“When you see the teams that are successful, it’s the teams that have that relationship between the general manager and the head coach and they understand that everybody is on the same page,” he added.

York was asked if he was looking for an offensive-minded head coach and admitted that the 49ers have had a lot of problems with that side of the ball, but that he wants someone who’s had experience in dealing with the NFL and also knows how to put an offensive staff together.